Apparatus for filtering valuable compounds.



N. A. BURGBSS. APPARATUS POR PILTERING VALUABLE COMPOUNDS.

` APPLICATION TLED SEPT. 3, 1913. l

LSQD Patented' July 14, 1914J WIT/VESES la Ao NHS To all w71 om it may concern UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWTON A. BURG-Ess, or NEW YORK, N'. Y., assIcrNoR To BUT'TERs PATENT VACUUM FILTER COMPANY, INC., A coarorta'irolv or NEVADA'.

APPARATUS FOR FILTERTNG VALUABLE COMPOUNDS.

Be it. known that I, NEWTON A. BURGEss, a citizen of the United States, and la resident of the city, county, and State o-f New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Filtering Valuable Compounds, of which the following is a specification. K.

The objectI of my invention is the provision of improved apparatus for use in the process of, Iiltering valuable compounds, such as slimes, which result from the wellknown cyanid process of treating ores, and which is particularly adapted for use n the process described and claimed in an application of Charles Butters, Serial No.A 772,946, filedv June 11, 1913 .4 Broadly considered, thefprocess in Butters application consists in forming a cake on the filter medium by creating suction in therleaf while submerged and discharging the cake by completely filling the leaf, and at the same time equalizing the hydrostatic pressure on the side of the filter media. The'apparatus disclosed in said application has among other things, a. valve at each 'lower corner of the leaf adapted to be opened and closed automatically, dependingupon the difference in pressure inside and outside the leaf.

It is the object of this invention to improve the leaf by providing a valvev which will not become cont-aminated bythe slimes in which the leaf is submerged during the` filtering operation, and which will be at the same time automatic in its operation. This desirable effect is accomplished by providing an extension 0r housing on the valve, the contents of which are equal to, or greater than, the amount of liquid which would necessarily pass through the valve in the opposite direction before the valve would close when suction is applied to the leaf.

Other advantages will be apparent upon reading the following detailed description of ing. my invention; an

the drawing attached hereto', and in which-- Figure 1 shows a complete leaf embody- Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of the valve. y

As shown in Fig. 1,A the leaf comprises a framchaving members 1, 2, 3 and 4, prefer- 4 ably of tubing. Over this frame is secured a filter medium 5 of canvas or othersuitlable material. rInside the filter leaf is a Ifibrous filler 6, preferably of cocoa mat for holding the sides thereof'apart when vacu- Specivcation of Letters Patent.

Application led September 3, 1913.

Patented July 14, 1914.'

serial No. 787,847.

um yis created within the. leaf. This filler may` be supported by any suitable means such, for inst-ance, as from the top frame member 1. The filter medium 5 may be arranged on the frame in the usual manner andhclamped'at the top between the head` ers r.

The lower frame member 3 is perforated or slotted' along its upper side and is connected to a suitable pressure-decreasing means, such as a vacuumv pump, through the pipe 4, connect-lon 8, sight-glass 9, pipe 10, by and through which the filtrate is removed.

- lThe left-hand frame member 2 is plugged by any suitable means such as a wooden plug, as shown at 11. The top frame member 1 is perforated or slotted along its lower side, and to this member is attached a suit-I able relief valve 12. This member is also plugged as shown at 13, and is connectedto the right-hand end member to make a rigid frame structure. It is useful to be able to lwash out-the cocoa-mat occasionally between the funnel with which the valve 12 is provided. At the time that the water is admitted the valve member such as a..ball 17v may be removed from the funnel, unless it is light enoughto fioat, in which case it will be automatically removed from its seat suliiciently to allow the water to be a-dmittedj After the water has passed out of the funnel the valve member will automatically seat. It is not necessary that the relief valve 12 be connected with the frame member\1 but this arrangement is preferred, and it 1s so illustrated in the drawing. This valveI is connected by'a pipe 18 of any suitable length,I The relief valve should be connected to the upper portion of the leaf in order to allow I the escape of air. The provision of an air relief valve to atfilter leaf is described and claimed in an application of Charles Butters, Serial No. 769,779, filed May 26, 1913, which is substantially the same as Fig. 1 of the present drawingias far as thaty feature is Concerned.

through the members 8, if desired. Therev ture `they have different functions. The

function of the valve at the right-hand corner is to 'admitwater without pressure into the leaf for the purpose of dislodging the cake from the media. The functions of the valve at the left-hand corner are to allow water to run through the leaf for occasion ally washing out the cocoa-mat, pr other filler after the cake has been dislodged, and to permit air to escape while the leaf 1s being filled with water from` the funnel at the opposite corner during the cake-dislodging step. i V

The funnel valves at the right-hand corners of the `leaves may be dispensed .with and water for dislodging the cake supplied can be no internal pressure under these circumstances due to the presence of the relief valve at the top of the leaves and the valve 19 at the bottom thereof.

The valve 19 is attached to the lower frame member of the leaf and is adapted to be opened when the pressure within the leaf equals or exceeds the external hydrostatic pressure. Thisvalve is shown in detail in Fig. 2, and'comprises a housing 20 having a seat 21 and a valve member 22 adapted to coperate with the seat so as to prevent the entrance of slimes into the leaf when the pressure within the leaf is decreased. This housing has an extension 23 below the Seat, the contents of which, when moved in the inward direction, are sufiicient to cause the valve member to seat. The valve member is lprevented from falling out of the housing between the ball and the side of the hous ing so as to allow the ready passa/ge of theP water. out of the valve. The operation-of the complete leaf is as followsf-*The leaf is submerged in the slimes bath by allowing tebath to run into the vat 15,'care being taken not to allow slimes to enter the funnel valves. After the leaves are submerged a few inches, suctlon is applied tothe interior of the leaves by any suitable means, such as a pump.l The filtrate is carried ofl by this maining sealed throughout these operations.`

In order to dislodge the cakes, the filter leaves being submerged 1n ,wash water, the vacuum is turned off, `the valve member is ters Patent, is

removed from funnel 25, unlessit is light enough to float, and water is admittedA through the pipes 26, 27, 28 and 29 and funnel 25 into the;4 bottom frame member 3. As the waterrises in the leaf the'air passes out through the relief valve 12 at the lefthand corner, and thereby the water rises to the very top of th'e leaf and completely fills it and thereby saturates the entire surfaceA of the filter media. At some point during this filling operation the valve 19 will open if the pressure withinthe leaf-becomes equaly ing of the valve 19 will be completely filled with clean water and due to the fact that the housing has no openings, eXcept the discharge opening, andthe fact that the slimes has 'a greater specific gravity than the clean water, this housing will be kept filled with clean water, and when it/beeomes necessary to reduce the pressure within the leaf, the

clean water in the housing will tend to flow back intothe leaf and will thereby cause the valve member 22 to seat, while-at the -same time preventing any'of the slimes reaching the valve memberor its seat. As a result of this the valve is always kept clean, and is made more positive and reliable in its op-v eration, and at the same time no' accumula-v tion of dirty slimes gets into Y the leaf through the valve.

I' do not intend to llimit myself ,te the I proportions shown, as the h'ousing'may take any shape or size required under the circumstances, thevv object being that the contents of the housing shall be' equal to 'the'. amount of fiuid which would pass through the valve (in the' reverse direction prior to its closing.

- Having descrlbed my invention, what-1I'- claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 1. AM filter .leaf 'having automatic valve means with@ housing for allowing discharge of clean water fromsaid leaf into'v slimes when equal internal and external pressures obtain, but preventing entrance of slimes into said leaf when internal pressure is less than external pressure.

2A'i1ter leaf-havinga valve for discharg-l ing'clean water'into dirty water, said valve having a projection into said dirty water, the contents of which projection are equal to or greater .than the amount which would pass in the reverse direction through ,Said valve before it. closes.

3. A filter apparatus having a Valve for discharging clean into' dirty Water, said valve having a projecting housin of notable content on the discharge side t iereof. A

4. A filter apparatus having a valve for discharging one liquid into another, the latter of which is detrimental to said valve, said valve having an extended housing the contents of which` are Suflicient to close said valve when passing in reverse direction so as to prevent the entrance of the detrimental liquid to said valve.

A filter leaf having submerged pressure equalizing means connected therewith and having a housing of notable content and length.

A lter leaf having automatic hydrostatic pressure equalizing means connected thereto and having a housing of notable con- -tent and length.

7. A filter leaf having a submerged pressure equalizing valve connected thereto and having a housing of notable content and length.

8. A filter leaf having a submerged automatic pressure equalizing valve connected thereto and having a housing of notable con-v tent and length.

9. A filter leaf having a hydrostatic pressure equalizing valve connected with a submerged portion thereof andy having a housing of notable content and length. t

`In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

y ADAM SoHMID/r, EDWIN SEGER.v 

